Fine Arts Faculty Annual Report - 2005-06

Submitted by Charles Forsberg, Associate Dean for the FIne Arts

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Department of Art and Art History

The academic year 2005-06 saw the largest ever group of majors with 53 studio majors and 112 art history majors. This gave the department the third highest number of majors college-wide.

Lectures presented:

Clarence Morgan, printmaker, Chair of Art, University of Minnesota, Mpls.

Kaori Takami, installation artist, New York.

Kelly Connole, ceramicist, Carleton College.

Josh Garber, sculptor, Chicago, IL.

Liz Quisgard, painter, New York.

Piotr Szyhalsik, new media arts, Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Svein Nyhus, book illustrator, Norway.

Lynda Barry, comic artist.

Stuart Gibson, visiting art historian.

Stephanie Smith, Curator of Smart Gallery, University of Chicago.

Siri Engberg, Curator at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.

Ingunn van Etten, curator of Fjord Born.

Beth Dow, photographer.

Two ceramics workshops with Kelly Connole and Chuck Solberg.

The department received a Faculty Development Curricular Grant. Project leaders John Saurer and Irve Dell.

Students organized a group P.I.C.A.S.S.O. to sponser arts events and field trips. The applied to and were given an honor house for next year.

Museum: See attached schedule. $20,000 Nygaard Foundation grant to secure works in public places on campus.

Staff and faculty accomplishments:

• Irve Dell, ACM FACE grant.
  
• Meg Ojala, McKnight Photography Fellowship.
  
• Patrick Kelley helped organize Media New conference at Grinnell College.
  
• Patrick Kelley and Chris Schommer (student) received Magnus the Good Award.
  
• Mary Griep, Faculty Development Grant for Creative Work.
  
• Matthew Rohn was Lily vocational scholar.
  
• Matthew Rohn lecture for MN Humanities Commission Teacher Institute, lecture at Mpls Institute of Arts “Villa America in Context.” “What’s so American about American Landscape?” Versterheim, Norwegian American Museum.
  
• Matthew Rohn – Taking part in Freeman Foundation Institute – Hawaii.
  
• Karil Kucera – “Lessons in Stone: Baodingshan and Its Hell Imagery.” Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities. Presentations on IDEAS project, NITLE national conference, 6 th Global Conference on Wickedness and Evil, Prague.
  
• Karil Kucera, Faculty Development Grant – Summer Research.
  
• Nancy Thompson, “Reviving ‘the past greatness of the Florentine people’: Restoring Medieval Florence in the Nineteenth Century,” Presented at the Medieval Academy of America meeting, Boston, March 31-April 2, 2006.

Publications:1. "Architectural Restoration and Stained Glass in Nineteenth-Century Siena: The Place of Light in Giuseppe Partini's Purismo." This Year's Work in Medievalism (June 2006).2. "Stained Glass in Nineteenth-Century Florence: Medieval Reproductions by the Atelier De Matteis." Interpreting the Middle Ages: Essays on Medievalism, ed. Susan Ridyard. Sewanee Medieval Studies 13 (2005): 59-81.

• John Saurer, Exhibitions2006 "Many, Many" Printmaking Invitational, Ohio University, School of Art, Athens, OH, Alumni Invitational" DePree Art Center, Hope College, Holland, MI, "Summer Celebration of the Arts" Anderson Center, Red Wing, MN, "Past Tense" Print Exhibition / Exchange, University Print Society, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

2005 "Print Biennial III: Invitational" Concordia University, St. Paul, MN

• Heather Brooks-Shirey, presented a paper "Idols on Altars and Idols in the Closet: Syncretism and Art in African-Brazilian Candomblé."
  
• Dave Ryan, CalArts Alpert/ MacDowell Arts Colony Fellowship, June 2005 - was nominated for this award, then selected for the MacDowell Colony Fellowship.

The 7ª Bienal de Video Y Nuevos Medios de Santiago, Chile, November 2005. solo exhibition of collected works at the Santiago Video Bienial. DUTV, Philadelphia, November 2000 - a video of mine was aired as a part of "My Terrorism" collection.

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Department of Dance

The dance department had rich and diverse year. The department hosted 10 performances with approximately 250 students/ 10 alumni performing and reaching an audience of +2500. The dance department also continued the touring of Swing a Club: facing cancer. This work features both student and faculty and alumni performing artists. This ensemble toured to the following locations;

• Barbara Barker Center for Dance, University of Minnesota, May 2006.
• AAPHERD Central District Conference, Broomfield, Colorado, March 2006.
• Willamette University, March 2006.
• Grinnell College, June 2005.

The North Central Regional festival for ACDFA was at the University of Iowa in March 2006. 21 students attended as well as 2 faculty and 3 staff. We brought two pieces to be adjudicated: Spiral Shift choreographed by Guest Artist Mathew Janczewski and Abandon by Senior Alex De Los Santos. We also brought Tarentella choreographed by Junior dance major, Jake Fitzpatrick to be performed at the informal concert and two international dances to be performed in the World dance concert.

The dance department hosted guest artist Mathew Janczewski, a Minneapolis based choreographer, to set a new work on Companydance. He also taught numerous master classes during his residency.

The dance department was also host to two University dance companies, Black Label from the University of Minnesota and Scottsdale Community College. The department looks forward to hosting other companies in the future.

The department also spent a great deal of time working as a pilot program in presenting our courses for SPM (Studies in Physical Movement), Previously this GEC requirement was (PHA) Physical Activity. We spent time in our department meetings discussing outcomes and specific courses to see that all courses in our program meet the specific General Education requirements.

Professional Activity for faculty in our department includes;

• Anne von Bibra presenting a paper entitled "F.A. Zorn: A German Dancing Master on the World Wide Web"as part of the Round-Dance Study Group Panel at the International Council for Traditional Music Biennial World Conference, Sheffield, England, August, 2005.
  
• Anthony Roberts presenting at AAPHERD Central District Conference, Broomfield, Colorado, March 2006.
  
• Heather Klopchin professional performing with several professional dance companies in the Twin Cities.
  
• Several faculty also created new works for the student dance company, Companydance
  
• Faculty Janice Roberts and Heather Klopchin co-wrote a national grant which would bring Lorry May, the director of the Sokolow Foundation, to St. Olaf to set Anna Sokolow’s historical masterwork "Dreams" in Fall 2006.

Department of Music

2005-06, Dan Dressen, Chair

Curriculum: In 2005-06, the music faculty addressed keyboard proficiency expectations for all music majors. It decided to remove the keyboard component from Music 111, 112, 211 and 212 (Ear Training, Sight-Singing and Keyboard courses) and create a separate rubric for monitoring student proficiencies in this very important area of music understanding. It also created a four-level keyboard proficiency model. The degree and type of music major one pursues will determine the level a student must attain. He or she will do so by successfully completing a prescribed keyboard class (1-4) or passing an appropriate level of proficiency exam. This change will allow for more focused attention on keyboard proficiencies and also open up more time for aural skill remediation in the four Ear Training courses. The department will ask CEPC in the fall of 2006 to agree to its retitling of the four Ear Training courses to Aural Skills.

The music curriculum in 2005-06 also saw the addition of a new Piano Literature course. Vocal, string and piano majors now have course work in place to address pedagogy and literature standards in their respective areas. In addition, students in areas of Performance Studies with smaller enrollments (i.e. woodwinds, brass, percussion) will follow a pedagogy and literature template as an Independent Study to meet this standard. Faculty will receive credit as if they were teaching a lesson for a semester for mentoring these Ped/Lit Independent Studies.

The music faculty also approved the addition of private lessons in Composition, to be available to students after they have completed the three levels of composition courses.

Personnel: Christopher Aspaas and Christopher Atzinger began their tenure-track appointments. In addition the following faculty began their appointments in term positions: Mark Calkins, Andrew Hisey and Kay Sahlin. Kay had been an adjunct faculty for many years and was reappointed in a term position this year. This change represents a goal to have no area of the music curriculum taught exclusively by adjunct faculty. Such an arrangement leaves students in an inequitable position, given the advising and mentoring role music faculty, particularly in Performance Studies, play. In this light, the department gained permission to change the oboe appointment from adjunct to term and hired Dana Maeda at the end of the academic year to serve in that position. Other new faculty hires for 2005-06 include Laura Caviani (Jazz Piano) Jennifer Leibfried (violin) and Jack Yates (Gospel Choir). The college performed a search for a tenure-track candidate in Theory/Composition and offered the appointment to Justin Merritt. Jo Ann Polley, after twenty-five years of service, retired in the spring of 2006. Karrin Meffert Nelson will serve in an interim clarinet appointment in 2006-07 while the college searches for a tenure track replacement for Jo Ann. Marty Hodel gained tenure and David Carter promotion to full professor after successful reviews performed in the fall of 2005. Of course, great honor came to the department and the college when Anton Armstrong was awarded the Foster Cherry Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Human Resources (Pat O’Brien and Kristy Sybilrud) performed a review of Music Department and Music Organizations staffing in the fall of 2005. This review was motivated by both a long-term request from the music program for more staffing support and by the departure of two staff from Music Organizations (Mary Auge and Mark Johnson). As of the writing of this report, there still is one component of music staffing before the Prudence Committee. If and when that component is approved and complete, the music program will move its part-time appointment in Admissions to full time. There will be an increase in staff support in the Music Department Office and Music Organizations/St. Olaf Records will have restructured its staffing assignments. In the summer of 2006, the music program will gain fuller utilization of SIS (Student Information System) and move to Resource-25 as the system to manage its calendar and spaces. The music program will be the first academic program to go online with Resource-25.

Capital: The summer of 2005 saw the first of a three-stage renovation of the Band Room (asbestos abatement and lifting the large ventilation pipe to the ceiling). Summer of 2006 will see the second stage, which will include most of the ceiling and wall acoustical renovations as recommended by acoustician, Bob Mahoney. The music program waits excitedly for the Boe Chapel renovations and installation of the new Holtkamp organ in the summer and early fall of 2006. The excitement stems from a conviction that both worship and performance will be greatly enhanced with these changes in the Chapel

Miscellaneous: Another initiative the faculty took on in 05-06, led by Kathryn Ananda Owens, was the focus on performance health. Two task forces were formed, each to address one health issue as it relates to music performance and instruction. One task force studied the area of hearing health and another task force studied the area of vocal health. Each task force presented recommendations to the music faculty and administration for addressing issues in each area. In addition, the music web site will include a separate page dealing with performance health issues to create greater awareness among students and faculty. New task forces will be formed to address other health issues.

Besides tour performances, the Music Department sponsored nearly 200 performances (recitals, concerts, master classes, etc.) on and off campus during 2005-06. In May, sixty two music majors (BA and BM) graduated or participated in commencement activities. Most of the participators were BM Music Education students, who will graduate in December upon completion of their professional semester.

lth and another task force studied the area of vocal health. Each task force presented recommendations to the music faculty and administration for addressing issues in each area. In addition, the music web site will include a separate page dealing with performance health issues to create greater awareness among students and faculty. New task forces will be formed to address other health issues.

Besides tour performances, the Music Department sponsored nearly 200 performances (recitals, concerts, master classes, etc.) on and off campus during 2005-06. In May, sixty two music majors (BA and BM) graduated or participated in commencement activities. Most of the participators were BM Music Education students, who will graduate in December upon completion of their professional semester.

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Department of Theatre

In 2006, 20 students graduated with theatre majors. 330 students were part of the 2005-06 St. Olaf Theatre season of plays presented to the community.

Academic and Performance Program Highlights

The 2005-06 St. Olaf Theatre Season:

Scapin by Moliere

Lobster Alice by Kira Obolensky. Produced with the assistance of the New Plays on Campus program in conjunction with the Playwrights Center.

Pippin by Robert O Hirson, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Wonder of the World by David Linday-Abaire

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard

The Quade One-Act Play Festival

Other productions:

Blur by Meg Haley (’06) a student/faculty collaborative theatre production.

Student-produced independent theatre performances: Bat Boy, Request Concert, S.P.A.R., 5 to 9, AmericaMisfit, Savage/Love, Death and the Maiden, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind

Visiting Artists

Curricular Changes and Innovations

Lyric Stage emphasis review

Theatre curriculum review

Revisions of Theatre Ed licensure process

Production program analysis

TD/ Design position revision

Faculty & Staff Accomplishments

Dona Freeman : Director- Pippin, Guest Lecture in IDFA classes, Voice and Dialect coach for A Raisin in the Sun, produced/directed BLUR, collaborated with the St. Olaf counseling center on discussions about eating disorders (this was the topic of Blur), facilitated Alumni dinner for majors.

Karen Wilson : Task Force- MN Scholars of Distinction in Theater; State of Mn Licensure meetings for Theater/Dance Ed license split; Received Outstanding Individual in Communication and Theater Award; Judge at one-act play contests in the state as a certified/registered judge; directed Lobster Alice as part of the New Plays on Campus project; Chair and Presenter: Connecting the Professional World of Playwriting with College/Universities at the national Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) conference in San Francisco; Invited presenter for voice workshop at the Perpich Center; project director of a Nygaard Foundation Grant: St. Olaf Theater Archives Project

Brian Bjorklund: Lighting Design projects: She Loves Me at Central College; Over and Back- Northfield, June & November. Scenery Design: Scapin. Presentation: Online tools in Curriculum USITT National Conference Louisville, KY.

Gary Gisselman: Director- Arcadia; Mellby Lecture, St. Olaf College; Production Director- Christmas Carol, Guthrie Theatre.

Facility Changes/ Additions

Dye Vat/ Laundry area planning

Kelsey seating, paint, & carpet project

Completion of Theatre sound system replacement project